# Meursault vs. Keldeo



## Music Dragon (Apr 2, 2015)

[size=+2]*Meursault vs Keldeo*[/size]

Arena:


> 2vs2 Single
> Style: Switch
> DQ: One week
> Damage Cap: 40%
> ...


*Meursault's active squad*

 *Malmö* the female Ralts <Synchronize> @ Lucky Egg
 *Ruin* the genderless Baltoy <Levitate> @ Sachet
 *Delve* the female Gastly <Levitate> @ Lum Berry
 *Usagi* the female Cleffa <Magic Guard> @ Soothe Bell
 *Berlin* the male Larvitar <Guts> @ Lucky Egg
 *Bass* the male Munchlax <Pickup> @ Normal Gem
 *Myryam* the female Ferroseed <Iron Barbs> @ Lucky Egg
 *Iñárritu* the male Hawlucha <Unburden>
 *Ringi Cordeiro* the female Chimchar <Blaze> @ Lucky Egg
 *Ishidou Natsuo* the female Gyarados <Intimidate> @ Cell Battery


*Keldeo's active squad*

 *Shay* the male Cranidos <Mold Breaker> @ Dawn Stone
 *River* the female Ralts <Synchronize> @ Lucky Egg
 *Vesper* the female Crobat <Inner Focus> @ Black Sludge
 *Toby* the male Pangoro <Iron Fist> @ Expert Belt
 *Anne* the female Wooper <Water Absorb> @ Weakness Policy
 *Robin* the female Fraxure <Mold Breaker> @ Shell Bell
 *Rhyme* the female Emolga <Static> @ Life Orb
 *Kiel* the male Pawniard <Defiant> @ Lucky Egg
 *Aisha* the female Shuppet <Insomnia> @ Sachet
 *Airplane Baguette* the male Castform <Forecast> @ Wise Glasses


Meursault sends out!
Keldeo sends out and commands!
Meursault commands!


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## nastypass (Apr 2, 2015)

Oh okay, I'm a test ref now! Let's go wiiiith... Ringi!


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## Keldeo (Apr 3, 2015)

I'll go with River. For your first action, go with a *Toxic* for some nice residual damage. If there's a Substitute or clones, she's Taunted you, or she's underground, use *Disarming Voice* instead. Next, give her a *Telekinesis*, but if you're Taunted or there are clones or a substitute up, go for *Psychic* instead. End with a *Charge Beam* to see if you can't net a boost - aim it into the hole if she's Digging, and sweep it around if there are clones. For all three actions, use *Calm Mind* if she's Protecting, Detecting, or unhittable with your other attacks (conditions for the others overrule Calm Mind in all cases).

*Toxic / Disarming Voice / Calm Mind ~ Telekinesis / Psychic / Calm Mind ~ Charge Beam / Calm Mind*


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## nastypass (Apr 3, 2015)

Okay Ringi, Keldeo seems to be expecting us to Dig, so lets oblige! Dig down on the first action, and start Honing your Claws while you're down there. Finally, see if you can manage to trap River in a Fire Spin while she's standing near the mouth of your hole.

*Dig down ~ Hone Claws ~ Fire Spin*


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## Music Dragon (Apr 4, 2015)

*Meursault vs. Keldeo: Round 1*

*The story begins...*​
Ah yes! What a beautiful day to be me, the amazing Music Dragon, referee and narrator, ready to take you on the journey of a lifetime! As I enter the stadium, cape flowing in the wind, and take my place on the Referee Throne, which was my father's, and my father's father's before him, and thus mine by rights -

Someone in the audience shouts "You're not even an approved ref yet!"

I shift uncomfortably on the throne.

Meursault and Keldeo take their respective places on opposite sides of the arena. They think I do not notice, but I can see in their eyes that they are conspiring against me; well, so be it! They have no power in _this_ battle.

With an elegant flick of the wrist, Meursault tosses a Pokéball and releases... Ringi Cordeiro, the Chimchar! Ooh! Better watch out for this one; she looks feisty.

Unfazed, Keldeo selects a ball of her own and sends out... River, the Ralts! A curious specimen! Ah, this is where it gets interesting...


*ROUND 1: Tunnels That Bend! A New Referee Appears!*

Meursault (OO)

[Ringi Cordeiro]  <Blaze> 
*Health:* 100%
*Energy:* 100%
*Status:* Ready to do the thing with the punching.
*Dig ~ Hone Claws ~ Fire Spin*

Keldeo (OO)

[River]  <Synchronize> 
*Health:* 100% 
*Energy:* 100%
*Status:* Unreadable expression. Even I cannot tell what she's thinking!
*Toxic / Disarming Voice / Calm Mind ~ Telekinesis / Psychic / Calm Mind ~ Charge Beam / Calm Mind*​
*Audience Status:*
Excited. Everyone's cheering; people are waving foam fingers and spilling popcorn everywhere. Clearly they can't wait for the battle to get started! Someone is holding up a sign that reads "WE LOVE YOU MD". But on closer inspection, it is not a real person, just a mannequin with the sign taped to it. Who could have put it there?

*Arena Status:*
Concerned (severe). Seems to be thinking: "Oh no, not again!"

-----​
The boxing bell strikes and the battle officially begins! Immediately, Ringi leaps into action and starts tearing at the ground with her claws, ripping up patches of fake grass and soon the moist earth underneath it. Clumps of dirt spray behind her. In a matter of seconds she has vanished from view, but she does not stop; she continues to burrow further and further until the sunlight fades and the din of the audience dies out…

River, whose reflexes were too slow for her to do anything sensible during this time, assesses the situation and decides that a Toxic blob would have no chance of hitting now. Instead, she takes a deep breath and then unleashes a terrible, shrill, drawn-out cry not unlike that of an offended baby. The cry echoes loud and clear across the stadium and several of the spectators make futile attempts to cover their ears with foam fingers - but down in the tunnel, Ringi barely notices the noise in the midst of her digging. Soon the sound dies out, and the audience breathes a collective sigh of relief. 

Finally satisfied with her work and certain that she is safe from harm, Ringi slumps against the wall of the tunnel and wipes the sweat from her brow. Here, well beneath the surface, it is dark and damp and clammy. After taking a moment to catch her breath, she gets to her feet and brushes the grime off her claws. They could definitely use some honing after all that digging... Carefully, she begins to scrape them against each other, sharpening the edges little by little. In the meantime she plans her next move; her mind is completely fixated on the current battle. She does not know of the ancient horrors that lurk far below her. 

Meanwhile, River has seated herself on the ground with her legs folded and her eyes closed, retreating into her mind. One by one she erases the physical sensations that distract her: she cancels out the bright daylight, then the clamor of the audience, then the gentle touch of grass against her feet. Words and images pass through her mind, but she does not linger on them. Awareness, but with one-pointedness of mind: this is samadhi. Sitting still, thinking of not thinking: this is nonthinking. Such is the art of zuò chán. It grants +1 Sp. Atk and +1 Sp. Def.

Her meditation finished, River slowly opens her eyes and allows the world to wash over her again. Now… she is ready to start the battle proper. Sparks and charged particles coalesce around her as she approaches the tunnel’s opening with measured strides. She can feel the electrical energy surging through her body, welling up inside her – the surrounding air crackles, and the excitement in the audience is palpable. She steps up to the hole in the ground and peeks down, ready to unleash her Charge Beam. Down below, she catches only a quick glimpse of Ringi’s grinning face before a gout of fire comes blasting through the tunnel! – she jerks her head back but is too late to avoid the coiling flames. A vortex of fire engulfs her and sears her flesh, though in a weak, base-power-35 kind of way. But if she feels any pain, her face does not betray it. Stoic, that one!

Ringi lets out a little monkey laugh, pleased with a job well done. But her expression soon changes to one of mild concern as River’s face appears above her again, accompanied by a halo of rippling electricity. With a thrust of the arms, River releases the built-up energy in a cascade of sparks and light – Ringi barely has time to shield her face before the beam strikes and sends her tumbling down the tunnel, out of sight.

All the while, flames continue to swirl around River, bathing her in unbearable heat. She grits her teeth and hopes her trainer’s next commands will get her out of this bind…

-----


Meursault (OO)

[Ringi Cordeiro]  <Blaze> 
*Health:* 94%
*Energy:* 94%
*Status:* Fur frizzled. Fists clenched.
+1 Attack, +1 Accuracy.
*Dig ~ Hone Claws ~ Fire Spin*

Keldeo (OO)

[River]  <Synchronize> 
*Health:* 96% 
*Energy:* 93%
*Status:* Still hard to read through the flames, but… is that a smirk I detect?
+2 Special Attack, +1 Special Defense. Trapped (Fire Spin, 3 more actions).
*Disarming Voice ~ Calm Mind ~ Charge Beam*​
*Audience Status:*
Really excited now. The first attack’s always a crowd pleaser, and this one was flashy. A man walks around the stands selling hot dogs; he puts on a smile, but secretly he is sad because his girlfriend left him. He tries to assure himself that it’s not the end of the world and that there are plenty more fish in the sea, but the words ring hollow in his mind.

*Arena Status:*
Has had a tunnel dug into it. Seems to be thinking: “I knew it! I knew this would happen, I fucking knew it.”



Spoiler: Damage Calcs



*Ringi*:
Charge Beam: -6% (base damage 5%, +1 Sp. Atk)

*River*:
Fire Spin: -3% (base damage 3.5%, gets STAB, +1 Sp. Def)
Fire Spin (trapped): -1%





Spoiler: Energy Calcs



*Ringi*:
Dig (down): -2% (base cost 4%, only half move executed)
Hone Claws: -2%
Fire Spin: -2% (base cost 2%, has secondary effect, gets STAB) 

*River*:
Disarming Voice: -2% (base cost 2%, has secondary effect, gets STAB)
Calm Mind: -1% (base cost 2%, gets STAB)
Charge Beam: -4% (base cost 2.5%, has secondary effect)





Spoiler: Rolls



Charge Beam: Rolled 25/100, needed 10 or above. Success!
Charge Beam (secondary effect):  Rolled 78/100, needed 30 or above. Success!
Charge Beam (critical hit): Rolled 1/10, needed 10. Failure...
Fire Spin (critical hit): Rolled 7/10, needed 10. Failure…
Fire Spin (duration): Rolled 4.


*OTHER NOTES:*
Normally, I would not let Charge Beam reach all the way into a Dig tunnel, but Ringi deliberately placed herself within line of sight of the opening to attack.
Please let me know if there's anything I can improve, both of you!
Meursault commands first next round.


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## nastypass (Apr 4, 2015)

Arright, evaluation time! I love your prose, as always. I should point out though that Ringi knows exactly what ancient horrors lie beneath her, though.

Keldeo and I are indeed conspiring to give you contrived and occasionally confusing commands to ref, and I intend to keep doing that sporadically over the course of the battle.  Since incurring weird edge cases might sometimes put one of us a distinct disadvantage, we're going to call this match a draw at the end regardless of the apparent outcome. (So you can tune out now, Ether's Bane :P)

We had intended for Ralts to try and use Telekinesis on the second action, but with the way Keldeo ended up wording her conditionals, Calm Mind was a reasonable way to resolve it. I wouldn't have reffed Charge Beam as having standard accuracy on the third action, but I'll accept it as the drawback of attacking from underground. Numbers look good otherwise, good job.

Now, on to commands! Keldeo, feel free to respond however you want; I have no conspiracy in mind this round.  Ringi, we're going to start by digging straight up into River. After that, we're gonna give her a Shadow-Up Claw! Unless she's protecting, in which case you should do a Swords Dance. On the final action, hit her with a Gunk Shot. If she by some miracle protects twice in a row on that action, lay down some Stealth Rocks.

*Dig (up) ~ Shadow Claw+Power-Up Punch / Swords Dance ~ Gunk Shot/Stealth Rock*


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## Keldeo (Apr 4, 2015)

edit: Wait, I think your crit rolls are off. They should be out of ten, since all the moves used this round were in domain one based off the D&E guide.
edit two: Also, I think you forgot to roll for Fire Spin's accuracy? It's not in the rolls section, at any rate. edit four: Whoops, disregard this, I'm dumb.
edit three: Also also, re: Fire Spin's damage, I thought base damage/energy costs could only be integers, so they were rounded down for damage if it wasn't a multiple of ten, and up for energy? (Otherwise Charge Beam would cost 3.5% base, for example.) I don't think this impacts anything, though. Note this is all unofficial, and can be overruled by Meursault if they disagree.

Hmm, okay! It doesn't look like there's a nice way to avoid that Dig, so how about *Psyshock + Future Sight*? Just send the Psyshock blast up with the Future Sight ball to power it up or whatever. If you don't think you can do that, just Future Sight. Next, why don't you see if you can *Ally Switch* with her? I know the description says it can only be used on allies but it seems like it should be able to be used against opponents too. But if that won't work, *Teleport* out of the Fire Spin instead. End by *Countering* that Gunk Shot, but if you didn't manage to pull off Psyshock + Future Sight earlier or Gunk Shot misses, use *Psychic* on the third action.

*(Psyshock + Future Sight) / Future Sight ~ Ally Switch / Teleport ~ Counter / Psychic*


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## Music Dragon (Apr 5, 2015)

Keldeo said:


> edit: Wait, I think your crit rolls are off. They should be out of ten, since all the moves used this round were in domain one based off the D&E guide.


Oh, derp. I was going off the in-game crit chances. My bad; I'll re-roll.



Keldeo said:


> edit three: Also also, re: Fire Spin's damage, I thought base damage/energy costs could only be integers, so they were rounded down for damage if it wasn't a multiple of ten, and up for energy? (Otherwise Charge Beam would cost 3.5% base, for example.) I don't think this impacts anything, though. Note this is all unofficial, and can be overruled by Meursault if they disagree.


I've been given conflicting information here, so it's a bit unclear, but: according to the last post in the D&E Guide, you're not supposed to round down until the very end of your calculations, so you should treat Fire Spin as having a base damage of 3.5%. You're right in that I should have put down 2.5% instead of 3% for Charge Beam (before accounting for the secondary effect), though in this case it doesn't affect the rounding anyway.


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## nastypass (Apr 5, 2015)

I noticed the 3.5 base for Fire Spin myself, and decided it was minor enough to be a ref quirk. As for the energy, my approach has always been to just go with the base listed in the database minus STAB, since it already accounts for extra effects.


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## Music Dragon (Apr 7, 2015)

*Meursault vs. Keldeo: Round 2*

*The story continues…*​
The first shots have been fired; it looks like the battle is well and truly under way. I’m starting to feel more at ease now that I’ve made it through the first round. Maybe I am cut out for this job after all. The onlookers certainly seem to be enjoying themselves, at any rate! But though I should be focusing on the task at hand, I cannot help but worry about what Meursault and Keldeo are getting up to. They whisper to each other and shoot occasional furtive glances my way. What are they planning? What’s _really_ going on here? It’s almost as if they’re… _testing_ me.

Zhorken’s words echo in my mind.

_”This is going to be a test battle, Music Dragon. A test battle. For testing you. You’ll be assigned a mentoring referee and – will you please put that down, I’m talking to you – Music Dragon, are you listening?”_

There’s definitely something strange about this whole battle, but I can't seem to piece it all together. Hmm…

*ROUND 2: The Violence Escalates! A Shadow Out of Time!?*

*
MEURSAULT (OO)*

_Ringi Cordeiro_  <Blaze> 
*HEALTH:* 94%
*ENERGY:* 94%
*STATUS:* Crouched at the end of the tunnel. Ready to show River a thing or two.
+1 Attack, +1 Accuracy.
*
Dig (up) ~ Shadow Claw + Power-Up Punch / Swords Dance ~ Gunk Shot / Stealth Rock *

*
KELDEO (OO)*

_River_  <Synchronize> 
*HEALTH:* 96%
*ENERGY:* 93%
*STATUS:* That Fire Spin is starting to look very uncomfortable.
+2 Special Attack, +1 Special Defense. Trapped (Fire Spin, 3 more actions).
*
Psyshock + Future Sight / Future Sight ~ Ally Switch / Teleport ~ Counter / Psychic *​
*Audience Status:*
Ready for more action! All that fire and electricity got them really worked up. What’ll it be next? Howling hurricanes, spears of ice, earthquakes? Be sure to provide them with entertainment, dear battlers. Life in Asber isn't easy for non-Trainers. They need this.

*Arena Status:*
Has had a tunnel dug into it. Otherwise uninjured.

-----​
At the bottom of the tunnel, Ringi gets on her feet, dusts herself off and cracks her knuckles. It’s time for payback. Extending her freshly sharpened claws, she starts to dig furiously, working her way upwards with incredible speed... 

Above ground, River has already begun executing her next command. She may be trapped in a twister of fire, but her mind is still free to travel! A barely perceptible shimmer of psychic energy envelops her, and with a concentrated thought, she coaxes open a small hole in time and lowers her mind into it. On the other side, a chaotic, noisy mess of twisted geometries and strange temporal fluctuations awaits her, a world full of rifts into other times and places. All too easy to get lost in here – better not linger. Her third eye’s gaze sweeps quickly through the interdimensional labyrinth, searching for the right opening. Very soon she finds a rift leading into what looks like a perfect opportunity to strike: on the other side, she can see future Ringi pointing and laughing at something, leaving herself open to attack. Perfect. She focuses her mental energy into a powerful blast and, with a great deal of effort, pushes it into the rift and sends it hurtling towards future Ringi. That should wipe the smile off her face.

Her job done, she slowly begins to reel her mind back in. Time to leave this place. On the way out, she catches sight of something strange: In the distance, behind myriad rifts and corridors, there is a flash of movement – and it carries the unmistakable aura of a living being. Is she not alone in here?

But suddenly her physical body is thrown back as Ringi bursts from the ground and shoulder-tackles her in the chest – reflexively, her third eye slams shut. The force of the impact sends her skidding across the astroturf. It takes a moment for the pain to register; she groans and makes a half-hearted effort to right herself, but collapses, too exhausted to stand.

Positioned perfectly above a floored opponent, Ringi wastes no time in following up on her attack. Her trainer has instructed her to simultaneously claw and punch, but how would that work out? Maybe if she swiped with her left hand and punched with her right…? No, no time to work this out now. Brandishing her claws, she gives them a little shake – mostly for show – and watches them distort and glow purple with ghostly energy. Then she leans back and, with as much force as she can muster, gives River a mighty slash right across the face. The Ghost-infused claws cut deep into River’s skin – she yelps in pain and leaps to her feet in a fit of newfound strength. Ringi backs off, pleased with her performance.

With some distance now between the two, Ringi decides that the time is right for her third and final attack. She coughs and hacks and gives her chest a little pound, and soon enough she retches up a lumpy ball of purple sludge. She weighs it in her hand, takes aim, then throws it as hard as she can. Fastball. Nothing fancy, but it gets the job done.

River braces herself. Trapped in the vortex of fire, she has no chance to run away or dodge; she’ll have to catch the incoming projectile and redirect it. The stench has already reached her, but she ignores it; every muscle in her body tenses and her eyes fix on the slimy chunk hurtling through the air towards her. Everything seems to move in slow-motion – her hands reach out –

– and the slimeball hits her square in the chest, knocking the air out of her lungs and splashing venomous goo all over her body. She falls on her back with a groan and the audience lets out a disappointed “aww”. 

Ringi points and laughs. Ha! What a sucker! She doesn’t even _know_ Counter! What did she think was gonna happen?

... Something flashes in the corner of her eye.

From out of nowhere, a massive sphere of psychic energy comes rocketing towards her. She barely has time to turn around before the blast catches her; it strikes her in the side and sends her flying across the arena. She lands with a muffled thud and the spectators gasp in shock. There is a moment of awkward silence while they try to figure out what just happened. Then the stadium explodes into wild cheering and applause.

The whirling flames enclosing River suddenly unfurl and blow away with the wind. River laboriously gets up on one knee, wipes a blotch of poison from her face, and affords herself a smirk.

They say she who laughs last laughs best.

-----

*End of ROUND 2.*
*
MEURSAULT (OO)*

_Ringi Cordeiro_  <Blaze> 
*HEALTH:* 63%
*ENERGY:* 80%
*STATUS:* Knocked to the ground. Not sure what just happened.
+1 Attack, +1 Accuracy.
*
Dig (up) ~ Shadow Claw ~ Gunk Shot *

*
KELDEO (OO)*

_River_  <Synchronize> 
*HEALTH:* 56% (capped)
*ENERGY:* 82%
*STATUS:* Bruised, cut and slimed, but happy to have made a comeback.
+2 Special Attack, +1 Special Defense.
*
Psyshock + Future Sight ~ (nothing) ~ (nothing)*​
*Audience Status:*
Going wild! It really looked like Ringi had the upper hand there, but River turned it around in the end. Hard to tell if they’re rooting for anyone in particular. This is looking to be an even match.

*Arena Status:*
Has had a tunnel dug through it; the tunnel is shaped almost like a U-bend, with both exits right next to each other.
*
Calculations:*


Spoiler: Damage



*Ringi:*
Future Sight: -17% (base damage 12%, gets STAB, +2 Sp. Atk)
Psyshock: -12% (base damage 8%, gets STAB, +2 Sp. Atk)
Combo bonus: -2%
*River*:
Dig: -9% (base damage 8%, +1 Atk.)
Shadow Claw: -12% (base damage 7%, +1 Atk., super effective)
Gunk Shot: -19% (base damage 12%, +1 Atk., super effective)
Fire Spin (trapped): -3%





Spoiler: Energy



*Ringi:*
Dig: -2% (base cost 4%, only half move executed)
Shadow Claw: -4% (base cost 3.5%)
Gunk Shot: -8% (base cost 7%, has secondary effect)
*River*:
Psyshock: -3% (base cost 4%, gets STAB)
Future Sight: -6% (base cost 7%, gets STAB)
Combo penalty: -2%





Spoiler: Rolls



Dig (critical hit): Rolled 1/10, needed 10. Failure…
Future Sight (duration): Rolled 2.
Shadow Claw (critical hit): Rolled 3/10, needed above 8. Failure…
Gunk Shot (critical hit): Rolled 4/10, needed 10. Failure...
Gunk Shot (poison): Rolled 67/100, needed above 70. Failure…
Future Sight + Psyshock (critical hit): Rolled 5/10, needed 10. Failure…


*
Other Notes:
*

I’ve experimented a bit with the layout and formatting, courtesy of a very special someone. If anything is hard to read or looks bad, let me know and I’ll fix it!
I realized I’ve been doing rolls incorrectly; if there’s a 30% chance of success and you roll in the range 1-100, you want to roll _strictly_ more than 70. Fortunately that extra percent wouldn’t have made a difference in the last reffing anyway. Sorry, still trying to figure out how to be consistent with everything!
Shadow Claw and Power-Up Punch cannot be combined due to their contradicting natures: Shadow Claw swipes with the claws, while Power-Up Punch uses the knuckles; they are elementally opposed; and Shadow Claw attempts to pierce through an enemy’s defenses, while Power-Up Punch deliberately hits the opponent’s toughest spot. Ringi decided to go with the first attack specified in the combo, namely Shadow Claw.
Psyshock and Future Sight, on the other hand, are sufficiently similar to be combined. The result is an empowered Future Sight attack that will hurl the target away for physical damage instead of frizzling them with psychic energy.
After performing her combo, River had to forgo her next action due to exhaustion. Then, she failed to use Counter because she doesn’t know how to.
Keldeo commands first next round!


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## Keldeo (Apr 7, 2015)

Okay, some unofficial comments: 
-I always thought if a combo fails, the Pokemon used the comboed moves successively, instead of using one of the moves and proceeding with its commands. If this is true, Ringi should have used Power-Up Punch on the last action.
-I think you're not supposed to say how long Future Sight's duration is? The flavor on its page sort of implies that, but in this case it didn't matter.
-Your prose is great, as always! Calculations look fine to me too.


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## nastypass (Apr 7, 2015)

Keldeo said:


> Okay, some unofficial comments:
> -I always thought if a combo fails, the Pokemon used the comboed moves successively, instead of using one of the moves and proceeding with its commands. If this is true, Ringi should have used Power-Up Punch on the last action.
> -I think you're not supposed to say how long Future Sight's duration is? The flavor on its page sort of implies that, but in this case it didn't matter.
> -Your prose is great, as always! Calculations look fine to me too.


I dont know that theres a hard and fast ruling on failed combos, but using them successively seems like it would be an odd choice. Failed combos Ive seen have been resolved by the entire action failing, or by picking one of the attacks and just using that. I dont have time to dig for precedent right now but Ill do so this evening - along with a full review.


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## nastypass (Apr 7, 2015)

pardon my double post but, here's a log of the discussion i just had with zhorken and eifie on the failed combo thing:


Spoiler: #tcod log



<Walker> /is/ there a ruling on failed combos in asb
<Eifie> I would think it'd be a case-by-case thing
<Walker> i didn't think so but i'm too tired to dig for one right now
<Walker> yeah. ref discretion and all that.
<Zhorkaboo> where's the scenario?
<Walker> md's test battle
<Walker> i commanded shadow claw+power up punch
<Walker> md resolved it as just a shadow claw; keldeo didn't agree but i overruled her
<Walker> http://forums.dragonflycave.com/showthread.php?t=17633
<Zhorkaboo> just a Shadow Claw makes sense
<Walker> yeah, that's what i thought.
<Zhorkaboo> yeah there's no way she would've used Power-Up Punch
<Walker> keldo thought it should have resolved as a shadow claw and /then/ a powerup punch fsr, which would be very weird
<Zhorkaboo> no, that makes some sense too
<Eifie> usually when it resolves that way it's because the person didn't order any other commands
<Zhorkaboo> if your commands were just "Dig ~ Shadow Claw + Power-Up Punch" then yeah, she'd just use Power-Up Punch
<Zhorkaboo> instead of doing nothing action three
<Zhorkaboo> but she had actual commands action three, so those should take precedence
<Walker> ah yeah that's a good point


in summary, "ref discretion." in this case, it makes sense to have Ringi perform only Shadow Claw. if I hadn't commanded anything for the final action, then she might use Power-Up Punch - but I had commands for it, so those should take precedent over the remains of the combo.

Numbers are spot-on, as is your prose. Future Sight is indeed supposed to remain an enigma, but it doesn't matter in this case and he never explicitly stated how long it'd last anyway, unless I've missed something.


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## Music Dragon (Apr 8, 2015)

Hmm. Thanks for the information! I did mention the Future Sight duration in the rolls, but only because it actually struck that round.

Anyway. Keldeo, you're up next.


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## Keldeo (Apr 8, 2015)

All right, that makes sense. Anyway, River, go for a *Confuse Ray* to start us off. If there's a substitute, *Psychic* to throw it into the stands, and use Confuse Ray next action - unless a/the substitute is blocking you again, in which case Psychic to throw it into the stands until you're able to Confuse Ray her successfully, in which case you should. If you're Taunted, Psychic to throw whatever target into the stands, and continue to Psychic them, mental intrusion-style, from where you are (throw Ringi into stands before wailing on her with mental intrusion if/when you destroy any substitutes). If she protects or is unhittable, including if she closes her eyes (if there are clones, use Confuse Ray anyway, but like, spread it out since it's vision based; if she's underground or somewhere else you can intrude in her mind with Psychic but not reach her with Confuse Ray, do Psychic) on the first action, *Calm Mind* and delay your actions. Continue to Confuse Ray, with Psychic and Calm Mind conditionals being the same as the first action (if you're tormented and that would prevent you from doing what you would do, switch to Calm Mind for an action, or Psychic if Calm Mind would be what you'd do), until she's confused. After that, use mental intrusion Psychic to worsen her confusion and do damage at the same time (same thing with Torment), emphasizing the former if she tries to Slack Off or Chill (if she's unhittable when she's confused, go with Calm Mind). Oh, and if she tries to Fake you Out, don't fall for it. You'll do fine.

*Confuse Ray / Psychic / Calm Mind x3*


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## nastypass (Apr 8, 2015)

Use Double Team for 5 clones! Nuts to this whole "spread it around" thing, you can avoid the lights! Follow that up with two Iron Tails as long as you aren't confused. If you are, I want you to use Focus Energy to get over it ASAP, and then Iron Tail.

*Double Team (5) ~ Iron Tail/Focus Energy x2*


----------



## Music Dragon (Apr 16, 2015)

*Meursault vs. Keldeo: Round 3*

*The story continues…*​
In the break between rounds, I take the opportunity to quickly check my cell phone. Someone’s left me voice mail.

_"Hi honey! Did you remember to book tables for dinner tonight? Call me when you're done with work and I'll pick you up. Also you forgot your lunch again so I ate it. Love you, bye!!"_

Tables. Right.

“Meursault! Keldeo!”

They both turn to face me. I gesture for them to come closer.

“You’re, uh, you’re both disqualified in… let’s say two hours. Better hurry up.”

“What? But that’s – “

“Chop chop, let’s wrap this up quickly. Go!”

Before they can say anything, I ring the bell that signals the start of the round.

*ROUND 3: Tricks and Illusions! Battle in the Center of the Mind!*

*
MEURSAULT (OO)*

_Ringi Cordeiro_  <Blaze> 
*HEALTH:* 63%
*ENERGY:* 80%
*STATUS:* Her hip hurts where the Psyshock blast struck her. Better not let that happen again.
+1 Attack, +1 Accuracy.
*
Double Team (5) ~ Iron Tail/Focus Energy ~ Iron Tail/Focus Energy *

*
KELDEO (OO)*

_River_  <Synchronize> 
*HEALTH:* 56%
*ENERGY:* 82%
*STATUS:* Took quite a beating last round, but still in the game.
+2 Special Attack, +1 Special Defense.
*
Confuse Ray / Psychic / Calm Mind ~ Confuse Ray / Psychic / Calm Mind ~ Confuse Ray / Psychic / Calm Mind *​
*Audience Status:*
Cheering loudly. There’s been plenty of action so far, and they’re hoping it stays that way!

*Arena Status:*
Has had a tunnel dug through it; the tunnel is shaped almost like a U-bend, with both exits right next to each other.

-----​
No sooner has the boxing bell rung than Ringi leaps into action, running in wide circles around the arena and rapidly picking up speed. River watches perplexedly as her opponent zooms about, showing no sign of trying to attack. Instead, Ringi moves faster and faster and faster until she is but a blur of motion sweeping across the turf. The blur smears and distorts and splits into several pieces, each one speeding wildly around the stadium. When they finally grind to a halt, there are no fewer than six indistinguishable Ringis scattered around the arena. Each one turns to face River and gives her a mischievous smile.

River eyes her six opponents carefully. Working the illusions, eh? Two can play at that game… but first she’ll need to find the right target. She scrutinizes each clone in turn, but despite her best efforts, she finds nothing that would reveal the real Ringi; they all look identical. Spreading her Confuse Ray around wouldn’t achieve anything, either. Very well – she’ll have to guess. She holds up her hand and projects a glittering beam of light from her palm; the beam falls like a floodlight on the nearest clone, bathing it in colorful, swirling particles. She keeps the Confuse Ray trained on her target for several seconds… but there is no reaction. The clone just leers at her. Eventually, River gives up, and the clone promptly vanishes.

The five remaining Ringis, all looking quite smug, begin to circle River ominously. River does not notice, but the real Ringi’s tail is glowing subtly; a dull gray liquid is seeping from its pores, covering it in a layer of metallic film. When River’s back is turned, Ringi pounces. She swings her Iron Tail in mid-air, and it strikes the back of River’s head with a horrifying clang, knocking her face-first into the ground.

The Ringis back off, seemingly very pleased with themselves. River scrambles to her feet and tries to catch sight of the one that attacked her, but it’s too late: the five clones have repositioned and are now lined up in front of her, grinning at her tauntingly. She studies them while she charges her second Confuse Ray, searching for something – anything – that would give away the real one…

A droplet of liquid metal falls from the leftmost Ringi’s tail.

Gotcha.

Another ray of brilliant light bursts from River's palm, and this one doesn't miss; the clones vanish in a puff and Ringi’s eyes go wide as the beam falls on her. Her field of vision is swarmed by a mass of glowing dots, green and emerald and red; soon they blot out everything and she can no longer see. She tries to look away, but finds herself unable – a strange feeling of weightlessness washes over her and pulls her in. The bright dots trace out intricate, mesmerizing patterns before her, like a kaleidoscope; meanwhile the noise from the stadium becomes garbled and slowly fades away, as if she were being submerged in a sea of dancing colors. In a dreamlike daze she stumbles towards the beckoning lights. Dimly, she is aware that she should be doing something, but cannot remember. Then her trainer’s voice echoes from somewhere far away:

“Focus! You have to focus!”

With a gargantuan effort, she wrenches her eyes shut. The dancing lights are still there behind her eyelids, but less tantalizing now. She focuses all her attention on her bodily sensations: the pumping of her heart, the steady expansion and contraction of her lungs, the reassuring touch of solid ground underneath her feet. Awareness of her own body balances her. Bit by bit, the hallucination fades: the hypnotizing lights diminish and slow down, and control of her senses begins to return.

But suddenly, a terrible screech erupts in her head. Burning pain shoots through her every nerve, and the hallucinations flare up again, dark red specks jittering madly before her eyes. _Someone_ is inside her mind, squeezing it in a viselike grip, driving needles into her brain – an image of River’s face flashes before her. She concentrates every ounce of her willpower on expelling the intruder, shutting out the noises, ignoring the pain that engulfs her body – the walls of her mind are buckling, and she’s not sure how long she can resist…

… but just as she is about to give in, the pressure fades, and she can feel River’s grasp on her brain relenting. The dancing lights, too, mellow and wash out, and the pain subsides into a throbbing but tolerable headache. A wary calm settles over Ringi. She takes a moment to collect herself before she opens her eyes. River is glaring at her from across the stadium, a mixture of caution and astonishment on her face – clearly she wasn't expecting such resistance.

She'll think twice about trying that trick again.

-----

*End of ROUND 3.*
*
MEURSAULT (OO)*

_Ringi Cordeiro_  <Blaze> 
*HEALTH:* 52%
*ENERGY:* 63%
*STATUS:* Has an awful migraine, but is nevertheless feeling victorious.
+1 Attack, +1 Accuracy. Confused (20% risk of failure). Focused (+20% critical hit chance).
*
Double Team (5) ~ Iron Tail ~ Focus Energy *

*
KELDEO (OO)*

_River_  <Synchronize> 
*HEALTH:* 40%
*ENERGY:* 70%
*STATUS:* Staring at Ringi in disbelief. How…?
+2 Special Attack, +1 Special Defense.
*
Confuse Ray ~ Confuse Ray ~ Psychic*​
*Audience Status:*
On the whole, the audience seems a bit disappointed; attacks that target the mind aren’t all that interesting to watch. But I myself am not at all displeased! Today we got to see an excellent illustration of what's known as the ganzfeld effect. If you're interested in psychology, look it up!

*Arena Status:*
Has had a tunnel dug through it; the tunnel is shaped almost like a U-bend, with both exits right next to each other.
*
Calculations:*


Spoiler: Damage



*Ringi:*
Psychic: -11% (base damage 9%, gets STAB, +2 Sp. Atk, 2% blocked by Focus Energy)
*River*:
Iron Tail: -16% (base damage 10%, +1 Atk, super effective)





Spoiler: Energy



*Ringi:*
Double Team: -5% (5 clones produced)
Iron Tail: -7% (base cost 6%, has secondary effect)
Focus Energy: -5% (base cost 5%)
*River*:
Confuse Ray 1: -4% (base cost 4%)
Confuse Ray 2: -4% (base cost 4%)
Psychic: -4% (base cost 4.5%, gets STAB)





Spoiler: Rolls



Confuse Ray 1 (clone check): Rolled 3/6, needed 6. Failure…
Iron Tail (secondary effect): Rolled 70/100, needed above 70. Failure…
Iron Tail (critical hit): Rolled 3/10, needed 10. Failure…
Confuse Ray 2 (clone check): Rolled 5/5, needed 5. Success!
Focus Energy (confusion check): Rolled 57/100, needed above 50. Success!
Psychic (secondary effect): Rolled 27/100, needed above 90. Failure…
Psychic (critical hit): Rolled 7/10, needed 10. Failure…


*
Other Notes:
*

Confuse Ray is decidedly single-targeted; it has to be concentrated on an enemy for some time, or else it is about as harmful as watching a lava lamp. It cannot meaningfully be spread across multiple targets.
Confusion starts at 50% failure rate, drops by 10% every action, drops by another 10% if taking heavy damage, and drops by 10% when using Focus Energy/Calm Mind etc. 
Focus Energy reduced the severity of confusion and the damage from Psychic. Something I wanted to bring up: as far as I can tell, there is no precedent whatsoever for Focus Energy being broken by distraction, but the description suggests that it can be done. Honestly, I feel like a combination of severe confusion and mental intrusion is about as distracting as it gets; I considered removing the critical hit chance buff as a result, but I'd rather not go out on a limb before I'm even approved. What are your thoughts on this?
Meursault commands first next round!


----------



## Music Dragon (Apr 21, 2015)

*Meursault*, your DQ is up in *48 hours*! I mean, it's not like I'm _actually_ going to disqualify you, but I think of this announcement as being part of my ref test. Wahaha!


----------



## nastypass (Apr 23, 2015)

I think the more conservative ruling on Focus Energy was appropriate here. It's not as if the Psychic attack was explicitly commanded to interrupt Ringi's focus here.

And good call on disallowing the sweeping Confuse Ray. The only things I would typically allow to target multiple clones are spread moves and multi-hit moves.

On to what I think I'll consider your Final Challenge: get over that confusion and spam Fire Blast, Ringi!

*Fire Blast x3*


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## Keldeo (Apr 23, 2015)

*Stored Power ~ Stored Power* ~ You're my *Stored Power*

...what do you mean it doesn't work with that?


----------



## Music Dragon (May 2, 2015)

*Meursault vs. Keldeo: Round 4*

*The story continues…*​
The rulebook sits heavy in my lap. It’s a used copy, an ugly yellowed thing – the sides are all frayed, and some of the pages seem dangerously close to coming loose as I leaf through them. A previous owner’s illegible scribbles litter the margins.

“So, about these rules... They’re more like _guidelines_ than actual _rules_, right?”

I look expectantly at the two senior referees. Keldeo doesn’t seem to be listening; she’s busy mouthing the words to “Egg Bomb”, but with the chorus replaced with “You’re my Stored Power”. River nods in response. 

“They’re not immutable”, says Meursault, raising an eyebrow. “But don’t improvise too much before you’re approved.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” I put on a big grin. “Anyway, if you’re both done with your commands, I think it’s about time…”

*ROUND 4: A Feeling of Déjà Vu! The Brink of Death!?*

*
MEURSAULT (OO)*

_Ringi Cordeiro_  <Blaze> 
*HEALTH:* 52%
*ENERGY:* 63%
*STATUS:* Her head’s still spinning, but the pain has mostly faded; give her an action or two and she’ll be good.
+1 Attack, +1 Accuracy. Confused (20% risk of failure). Focused (+20% critical hit chance).
*
Fire Blast ~ Fire Blast ~ Fire Blast *

*
KELDEO (OO)*

_River_  <Synchronize> 
*HEALTH:* 40%
*ENERGY:* 70%
*STATUS:* Mostly frustrated, but despite herself she also feels somewhat impressed by Ringi; it’s rare for a non-psychic to resist a mental attack like that.
+2 Special Attack, +1 Special Defense.
*
Stored Power ~ Stored Power ~ Stored Power *​
*Audience Status:*
Tension in the air. This round or the next, someone’s getting knocked out. But who will it be?

*Arena Status:*
Has had a tunnel dug through it; the tunnel is shaped almost like a U-bend, with both exits right next to each other.

-----​
A few bright spots still dance around the periphery of Ringi’s vision, but she feels mostly recovered from last round’s ordeal. No more of this intangible mental nonsense – it’s time to bring out the fireworks!

She takes a deep breath, aims carefully, then spits out a massive gout of white-hot fire towards River. The fireball arcs across the arena like a comet, air shimmering with heat in its wake. River tries to shield herself with her arms, but to little avail – the blast hits her head-on and explodes into the shape of a giant 大, engulfing her in searing flames and scorching the grass under her feet.

The fire dies out quickly, leaving billows of black smoke and an odor of singed hair hanging about River. She steps away from the burning patch on the ground and pats out the last embers still clinging to her, but the pain seared into her skin lingers. A few more blasts like that and she’ll be done for… The next attack has got to count.

With a few complicated gestures, she conjures up a small sphere of psychic energy. It hovers before her, glowing a vibrant purple. All it needs is a bit of charge. She draws on every ounce of residual energy she can find within her, pouring all of her willpower and even the last traces of electricity still coursing through her body into the sphere; in response, the sphere grows larger and denser and hums with power. By the time she’s satisfied that she can feed it no more, it has grown into a veritable cannonball. With a hand wave, she sends it barreling towards Ringi.

The blast strikes Ringi in the chest, exploding into a shower of sizzling violet sparks and throwing her away. Her back slams painfully into the ground. With a groan, she hoists herself up on her feet. Her entire body hurts, but at least the impact seems to have knocked the last hallucinations out of her; her eyesight is back to normal and the dizziness is gone. Now nothing will distract her from her next move – it’s time to bring out the fireworks!

She takes a deep breath, aims carefully, then spits out a massive gout of white-hot fire towards River. The fireball arcs across the arena like a comet, air shimmering with heat in its w – hang on.

“Wait, wait. This isn’t right.” I scratch my head in confusion.

“Well, it’s too late now”, says Meursault.

“No, no, I mean, we did this already!”

Keldeo gives me a puzzled look. “What do you mean?”

“… Nothing. It’s nothing”, I sigh. “Let’s just get this over with.”

The fireball arcs across the arena like a comet, air shimmering with heat in its wake. This time River barely has time to react before the Fire Blast strikes her right in the face, exploding into another 大. Sparks of fire burn her eyes and, for once, she loses her usual composure and screams in pain – she throws herself out of the blaze and rolls around in the dirt, doing her best to extinguish the flames. When the worst is over, she staggers to her feet, body trembling with pain.

She’s on the verge of unconsciousness now. Her heart pounds, her ears ring, her eyes dim – in all likelihood, she won’t last the round. But she can at least go out in style. With shaking hands she summons another sphere of energy, channels her remaining strength into it, and pushes it away. Fuelled by the last of River’s willpower, the sphere jets towards Ringi, leaving purple sparks in a trail behind it. Ringi manages to cover her face just before the blast strikes her in the head; it shatters into a cloud of psychic particles and almost knocks her over again, but this time she’s able to brace herself against the ground and is only pushed back a little.

She regains her balance quickly. Throbbing bruises have formed all over her body, but she’s got some fight left in her, enough to finish this. She inhales deeply, gathers as much fire in her throat as she can muster, and breathes out one last spout of white flames; the fireball rockets straight into River and detonates loudly, setting her body ablaze and scorching the shape of a 大 into the ground. She shrieks with pain and falls face-first into the burning grass.

Seconds pass, but River doesn’t get up. She lies motionless in the center of the smoldering 大 seared into the turf beneath her. Finally, after a long and uneasy silence, I make the announcement.

“It’s a KO! River is out!”

The audience erupts into wild cheering.

-----

*End of ROUND 4.*
*
MEURSAULT (OO)*

_Ringi Cordeiro_  <Blaze> 
*HEALTH:* 28%
*ENERGY:* 45%
*STATUS:* Savoring her victory. Whatever happens next, she’ll go home happy.
+1 Attack, +1 Accuracy. Focused (+20% critical hit chance). Blaze activated.
*
Fire Blast ~ Fire Blast (critical hit!) ~ Fire Blast *

*
KELDEO (XO)*

_River_  <Synchronize> 
*HEALTH:* 0%
*ENERGY:* 64%
*STATUS:* Knocked out!
*
Stored Power ~ Stored Power ~ (KO!)*​
*Audience Status:*
Screaming their approval. That was a spectacular round! Fire Blast sure is a flashy move. Fun fact: many people believe that 大 is the character for fire. In fact, it is the character for “big”! The festival that inspired Fire Blast is called 大文字, which literally means “big character”. (It can also mean “capital letter”, fittingly.) Yet another curious example of how Pokémon and their abilities seem to be affected by human culture.

*Arena Status:*
Distraught. Has had a tunnel dug through it, shaped like a U-bend. Three 大 have been scorched into the grass near each other. The ashen symbols are eerily beautiful.
*
Calculations:*


Spoiler: Damage



*Ringi:*
Stored Power 1: -12% (base damage 8%, gets STAB, +2 Sp. Atk)
Stored Power 2: -12% (base damage 8%, gets STAB, +2 Sp. Atk)
*River*:
Fire Blast 1: -12% (base damage 11%, gets STAB, +1 Sp. Def)
Fire Blast 2: -18% (base damage 11%, gets STAB, +1 Sp. Def, critical hit!)
Fire Blast 3: -16% (base damage 11%, gets STAB, +1 Sp. Def, Blaze)





Spoiler: Energy



*Ringi:*
Fire Blast 1: -6% (base cost 6.5%, gets STAB)
Fire Blast 2: -6% (base cost 6.5%, gets STAB)
Fire Blast 3: -6% (base cost 6.5%, gets STAB)
*River*:
Stored Power 1: -3% (base cost 4%, gets STAB)
Stored Power 2: -3% (base cost 4%, gets STAB)





Spoiler: Rolls



Fire Blast 1 (confusion check): Rolled 28/100, needed above 20. Success!
Fire Blast 1 (secondary effect): Rolled 11/100, needed above 90. Failure…
Fire Blast 1 (critical hit): Rolled 4/10, needed above 7. Failure…
Stored Power 1 (critical hit): Rolled 6/10, needed 10. Failure…
Fire Blast 2 (secondary effect): Rolled 45/100, needed above 90. Failure…
Fire Blast 2 (critical hit): Rolled 10/10, needed above 7. Success!
Stored Power 2 (critical hit): Rolled 2/10, needed 10. Failure…
Fire Blast 3 (secondary effect): Rolled 51/100, needed above 90. Failure…
Fire Blast 3 (critical hit): Rolled 3/10, needed above 7. Failure…


*
Other Notes:
*

Sorry about the late reffing! I’ve had tons of paperwork to sort out this week and it’s just been a mess.
If you want to end this battle in a tie, I think now would be a good time to call it quits.
If you want to keep going, Keldeo sends out and commands first next round!


----------



## Keldeo (May 2, 2015)

I'm not sure whether Meursault would like to end it here or not, but I have a few (unofficial, as always) comments on the round:

-Ringi's Blaze should have been activated by River's last Stored Power, and its activation should also be listed somewhere in her end-of-round status. However, Fire Blast 3's is the same as Fire Blast 1's.
-Fire Blast 2 should have done 17% damage if you're going solely by the DEG, as extra damage is rounded down. (Is the 18% damage because you calculated the critical hit as bypassing defense boosts, as it does in the game? The DEG says only that critical hits provide the damage boost, with no alteration to the actual damage of the attack, but I think that's a good call.)
-I would say that the second Fire Blast was a crit somewhere in the Notes section, or in the end-of-round stats (i.e. Fire Blast ~ Fire Blast (crit) ~ Fire Blast) because otherwise the trainers wouldn't know unless they looked in the Calculations section, which is hidden. I think this is mostly a matter of ref preference, though.
-Otherwise, your numbers and rolls look good, and your prose is great as well. You did a good job handling the repetitive round and Stored Power's variable energy cost.

If we're going to keep going, I'll use Kiel! Which is a royally bad idea, but he does need the experience.


----------



## Music Dragon (May 2, 2015)

Oh, you're completely right about Blaze! I forgot that. Drat! Fortunately it doesn't change anything, but that could have been a big deal. I'll fix it now.

As for the critical hit, that's because I don't round down until the very end of all calculations. A regular Fire Blast lands at 12.75% damage, and the critical hit adds 5.5% damage, which adds up to 18.25%. Round down and you get 18%. I'll wait and see what Meursault says, then I might change it.


----------



## nastypass (May 2, 2015)

of course we're continuing, I ain't through with you yet! D< keldo, get out there and march your kn-kn-

_sharp thing_

to its fiery doom.



Music Dragon said:


> As for the critical hit, that's because I don't round down until the very end of all calculations. A regular Fire Blast lands at 12.75% damage, and the critical hit adds 5.5% damage, which adds up to 18.25%. Round down and you get 18%. I'll wait and see what Meursault says, then I might change it.


that's sound.


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## Music Dragon (May 3, 2015)

Excellent! Waiting on your commands, Keldeo.


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## Keldeo (May 3, 2015)

Fair enough! Alright, Kiel cutest chessmon, start with a Sucker Punch if Ringi's preparing a damaging move or a Rain Dance if she isn't. Try to outwait her if she's not going to do something damaging, but use a delayed Payback on the first action if she Taunts you. Then use Knock Off, and finish with Foul Play. If she has clones or is unhittable, bar Substitute, use Rain Dance. If it's already rainy and she's either unhittable at any time or itemless on the second action, boost up with a Hone Claws on the second action or a Swords Dance on the third. If you're Taunted and this interferes with your commands, or you otherwise can't use whatever move for whatever reason, default to your damaging option for that action.

*Sucker Punch / Payback (wait) / Rain Dance ~ Foul Play / Rain Dance / Hone Claws ~ Knock Off / Rain Dance / Swords Dance*


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## Music Dragon (May 3, 2015)

Just to be clear, Keldeo, you do want Knock Off on the second action and not the third, yes?


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## nastypass (May 3, 2015)

okay. okay we're fighting a bunch of knives now. keep cool. keep cool! i'm cool. yeah. definitely. gotta keep a calm, level kill it with fire _kill it *kill it*_

head.

Ringi, open up with a Will-o-Wisp. The rain is going to be a little unpleasant, but we just want to punch the thing anyway I think. Uh, b-be careful when you're doing that, though. Don't hurt yourself now dear! Um, wrestle him to the ground with a Submission, and then, since we're actually pretty good on energy, Rest.

*Will-o-Wisp ~ Submission ~ Rest*


----------



## Keldeo (May 3, 2015)

Music Dragon said:


> Just to be clear, Keldeo, you do want Knock Off on the second action and not the third, yes?


Yes, that's what I meant.


----------



## Music Dragon (May 10, 2015)

*Meursault vs. Keldeo: Round 5*

*The story continues…*​
Solemnly, Keldeo withdraws River into her Pokéball. The audience waits with bated breath as she selects her next sendout. After some deliberation, she throws the eighth ball on her belt; it opens to reveal… Kiel, the Pawniard! This one looks _sharp_! Haha! _Knife_ to meet you, Kiel! Let’s hope this battle takes a turn for the _stabby_! Ah, that last one’s not a pun. But still it’s good! Ha! Meursault, why are you not laughing?

*ROUND 5: A New Challenger Appears! Monkey is Unimpressed! *

*
MEURSAULT (OO)*

_Ringi Cordeiro_  <Blaze> 
*HEALTH:* 28%
*ENERGY:* 45%
*STATUS:* Sizing up her new opponent cautiously. She ought to be able to get a few good hits in before the end…
+1 Attack, +1 Accuracy. Focused (+20% critical hit chance). Blaze activated.
*
Will-o-Wisp ~ Submission ~ Rest *

*
KELDEO (XO)*

_Kiel_  <Defiant> 
*HEALTH:* 100%
*ENERGY:* 100%
*STATUS:* Looking around eagerly.
*
Sucker Punch / Payback / Rain Dance ~ Knock Off / Rain Dance / Hone Claws ~ Foul Play / Rain Dance / Swords Dance *​
*Audience Status:*
They seem pretty excited. I think sending out a Pawniard was a good call; it’s a very menacing-looking species. Comes with the promise of a good show, you know?

*Arena Status:*
Has had a tunnel dug through it, shaped like a U-bend. Three 大 have been scorched into the grass near each other.

-----​
Kiel inspects his surroundings. It’s always tough being sent into a battle _in medias res_, but fortunately there’s not much to take in. His opponent, a badly bruised Chimchar, is staring him down from the other side of the arena. She looks tough, despite the wounds. Best not to underestimate her.

His first order is to bring some rain. Luckily, dancing happens to be a specialty of his. He takes a few hesitant steps forward, trying to get a feel for the rhythm, then segues into dance. His movements are slow at first, but as he picks up speed they become sinuous and fluid, and his feet soon stamp out a complicated beat. As if on cue, a mass of thick, dark clouds roll in over the arena; before long, rain is pouring down on the stadium and the people in it, muddying the turf and flushing water into the tunnel.

With her opponent distracted, Ringi sees a perfect opportunity to attack. She cups her hands and breathes a tiny stream of ghastly blue fire into them, gathering it in a single glowing flame. The fire flutters and hisses with each raindrop that strikes it, as if it had a life of its own. Carefully, she molds it into an orb; soon she has a fully formed will-o-wisp dancing and shivering in her grasp, a thing of beauty and mischief. She releases it, and it instantly flies away into the rain, seeking its victim.

The ghost fire weaves its way through the storm, heading towards Kiel. He doesn’t seem to notice it approaching, engrossed in his dance as he is, until it is almost upon him, and by then it is too late. Before he can step out of the way, the will-o-wisp connects with his left-hand blade and seeps into it. A horrible burning sensation shoots through his arm and he screams in pain; the metal in his hand glows blue, then catches on fire, and he watches in horror as the blade melts into a droopy lump. When it finally stops burning, he is left with a deformed chunk of blunt metal for a hand and a stabbing pain in his arm. He clutches his wounded blade and mutters under his breath. _Son of a bitch_, he thinks. _Where’d she go?_

Someone taps him on the shoulder.

He turns around and comes face to face with Ringi. She grabs him by the neck and lifts him up, dangling him in the air, but he looks her in the eye and manages a nervous smile.

“Why are you smiling?” says Ringi.

“Because I know something you don’t!” says Kiel.

“And what’s that?”

“I am not left-hand –“

She punches him in the gut, winding him before he can finish his sentence. In an instant she swings around him and grabs him in a chokehold, crushing his throat with her elbow. Kiel flails and struggles, swinging his arms around wildly, but they don’t reach very far back; he only manages to scratch her face lightly. He catches sight of something hanging on her right hip: a discreet item pouch attached to a light belt, not unlike his own. He bends his arm back as far as he can and makes a clumsy swing at the pouch. The blade cleanly severs it from its belt and cuts a deep gash in Ringi’s side; in response, Ringi tightens the grip on Kiel’s throat. Desperately, he digs his blades into her forearm, but even then she refuses to let go; her submission hold is completely unyielding.

“You know –” she says, her voiced strained with exertion “ – I’m actually – not that great at grappling –“

Kiel gargles something incoherent in response.

“ – if you trip me up now – I’ll probably lose my grip… ”

Thinking fast, Kiel reaches back with his leg and awkwardly hooks it around Ringi’s. Then he jerks his body to the side and lets himself fall, pulling Ringi with him and forcing her to finally let go. He drops to the ground with a thud, landing on his stomach, with Ringi ending up on top of him. Before he can get up, she grabs his right arm and pins it down, pressing him into the dirt. He tries to wriggle out of her hold, but finds to his alarm that his torso is stuck too: his stomach blades have lodged themselves in the turf! _Well, shit. She tricked me._ 

Ringi grabs Kiel’s head by the blade – it cuts deep into her palm, but she ignores it – and slams his face into the ground repeatedly, each blow punctuated by excited gasps from the audience.  After about a dozen pounds, she finally lets go and backs off, satisfied with the face-shaped imprint left in the dirt.

Gingerly, Kiel heaves himself up. A few fractures have formed on his metallic hide and his face is soiled with mud. _Can’t wait to bait her into attacking me again_, he thinks. Well, orders are orders. He looks around anxiously, and spots Ringi standing a few feet behind him; curiously, her eyes are closed and she seems to be… sleeping. But Kiel isn’t about to get fooled again.

“Hey you”, he shouts. His voice comes out sounding a lot more cracked than he was expecting. “Why don’t you get back here and, uh… beat me up again? Huh?”

Ringi doesn’t move. On closer inspection, she seems enveloped by some sort of aura; it’s barely visible in the rain, but a shimmering green light ripples across her fur.

 “H-hey! I’m talking to you!” Cautiously, Kiel approaches her and prods her with his good hand. No response. He turns to Keldeo and shrugs. “It’s no use, boss! W… what do I do?”

Keldeo makes punching motions in the air.

“Oh! Right! Right.” He raises his blade and swings at Ringi, slashing her across the face. The impact knocks her over like a ragdoll, but even then there is no reaction; her motionless body just flops to the ground. Unsure of what to do next, Kiel retreats, clutching his damaged arm and awaiting next round’s commands…

-----

*End of ROUND 5.*
*
MEURSAULT (OO)*

_Ringi Cordeiro_  <Blaze>
*HEALTH:* 36%
*ENERGY:* 25%
*STATUS:* In a deep trance.
+1 Attack, +1 Accuracy. Focused (+20% critical hit chance). Resting (2 more actions).
*
Will-o-Wisp ~ Submission ~ Rest *

*
KELDEO (XO)*

_Kiel_  <Defiant> 
*HEALTH:* 79%
*ENERGY:* 87%
*STATUS:* Badly bruised, covered in grime, and one of his blades has been disfigured. Also, Submission is terrifying.
He’s starting to wonder if he’s really cut out for this sort of thing after all. Haha, “cut out”, get it? Meursault, why are you not laughing?
Burned (1% per action, reduced physical damage).
*
Rain Dance ~ Knock Off ~ Foul Play *​
*Audience Status:*
As it turns out, most people brought umbrellas and raincoats! I guess they’re seasoned enough to know what to expect from battles like these. The few who didn’t bring anything are desperately trying to hide under banners, foam fingers and jackets.

*Arena Status:*
Rain is pouring down (6 more actions). Water is slowly collecting in the tunnel. Three 大 have been scorched into the grass near each other. An item pouch containing a Lucky Egg lies on the ground.
*
Calculations:*


Spoiler: Damage



*Ringi:*
Submission (recoil): -4%
Knock Off: -8% (base damage 9%, gets STAB, burned)
Foul Play: -8% (base damage 9.5%, gets STAB, burned)
Rest: +28% (heals 28% per action)
*Kiel*:
Submission: -18% (base damage 8%, +1 Atk, super effective)
Burn: -3%





Spoiler: Energy



*Ringi:*
Will-O-Wisp: -2% (base cost 3%, gets STAB)
Submission: -4% (base cost 4%)
Rest: -14% (costs 14% per action)
*Kiel*:
Rain Dance: -5% (base cost 5%)
Knock Off: -4% (base cost 3.25%, has secondary effect, gets STAB)
Foul Play: -4% (base cost 4.75%, gets STAB)





Spoiler: Rolls



Submission (critical hit): Rolled 4/10, needed above 7. Failure…
Knock Off (critical hit): Rolled 9/10, needed 10. Failure…
Foul Play (critical hit): Rolled 5/10, needed 10. Failure…


*
Other Notes:
*

Ringi and Kiel are almost evenly matched in speed. In a clutch, Ringi will outspeed.
To pin Kiel to the ground, Ringi used a standard aikido technique known as the ikkyo pin. This isn’t actually a submission hold (and therefore is never seen in MMA), but it does happen to be a very useful pin against opponents with bladed weapons. As for the face-slamming, I reserve judgment on that one. There are, after all, some pretty huge differences between ASB and MMA.
The bonus damage on Knock Off did not increase its energy cost, since it’s a one-time effect.
Rest was used when Ringi had 16% health remaining, so it will restore 84% health over three actions.
Apparently, direct healing moves have recently had their energy cost increased. But I have a policy of not enacting such changes mid-battle, so I’m sticking with the old cost for now.
Foul Play relies on goading the target into attacking first, but Ringi was asleep, so the move did not benefit from Ringi’s attack boost.
Meursault commands first next round!


----------



## nastypass (May 10, 2015)

an excellent reffing, as usual. not changing rules mid-battle is a sound policy, but I would caution against sticking too rigidly to that. I'd personally go by updated rules if they wouldn't have affected earlier reffings, and didn't happen between a relevant command being issued and being reffed (in this case, the direct healing cost was updated between my commanding rest and you reffing it - so you made the right call).

if we're going by the database numbers, knock off's energy cost is wrong. as far as i'm aware, the extra effect energy is taken into account in the cost listed there, so it should have simply cost 2%. looking back at earlier reffings, you did the same thing for iron tail and had it cost 1% extra. your gunk shot number, however, ended up equaling the one listed in the database anyway, so something's definitely screwy there. buuuut that's a pretty minor difference, and looks like a mistake i made when i got back to reffing post-database, so i wouldn't sweat it too much.

consider yourself approved, go yell at zhorken and demand your novice badge.

ringi, let's chill through the rest and then brick break when you wake up. if he's protecting when you wake up, keep chilling. and uh, t-try not to touch the blades this time. o~o

*Chill ~ Chill ~ Brick Break/Chill*


----------



## Keldeo (May 10, 2015)

Congratulations, MD! Very well-deserved.

In any case, Kiel, this situation doesn't look too _grate_. It sort of works? I guess? Get close to her, since she's sleeping and won't run away, and disrupt the hell out of her Chills with *Metal Sound*, or *Snarl* if your blade's burnedness would hamper Metal Sound in any way. If she hasn't energy-fainted yet on the last action, give her a *Taunt*; if she's down, *Swords Dance*, I guess? edit: wait, Chills are Snatchable, so Snatch them instead of trying to disrupt them! Wahahaha! Incidentally, MD, how much would Ringi recover from the Chill if Kiel used Metal Sound or Snarl?

*Snatch ~ Snatch ~ Taunt / Swords Dance*


----------



## Music Dragon (May 10, 2015)

Thanks, you two! I couldn't have made it without you. Now get back in the ring and fight each other.



Meursault said:


> if we're going by the database numbers, knock off's energy cost is wrong. as far as i'm aware, the extra effect energy is taken into account in the cost listed there, so it should have simply cost 2%. looking back at earlier reffings, you did the same thing for iron tail and had it cost 1% extra. your gunk shot number, however, ended up equaling the one listed in the database anyway, so something's definitely screwy there. buuuut that's a pretty minor difference, and looks like a mistake i made when i got back to reffing post-database, so i wouldn't sweat it too much.


I do all my calculations manually. I suspect the Database and the Damage and Energy Guide contradict each other, then. Here's what I get:

Iron Tail's base power is 100, so the base cost is (100+20)/20 = 6%. The secondary effect then adds another point, totalling 7%.

Knock Off's base power is 65, so the base cost is 65/20 = 3.25%. It has a secondary effect, which adds one point; but it also gets stab, which removes one point. This lands you at 4%.

If I were to guess, I'd say that the Database lists a lower Iron Tail cost because it doesn't add extra energy to a move with 100 base power, whereas the Guide does. Similarly, I think the Database counts Knock Off as having base damage 6% and thus base cost 3%, as opposed to having base power 65. Let me know if you think any of that's wrong.



Keldeo said:


> Incidentally, MD, how much would Ringi recover from the Chill if Kiel used Metal Sound or Snarl?


Hmm! Chill restores 10% by default. For a typical damaging move I'd shave off one or two points, so I guess it would restore 8%. If you'd used a move specifically designed to interrupt, like Astonish or Roar, it would restore 5%. That being said, Ringi is also asleep, which complicates matters a bit. First things first: I need to determine how to deal with the Rest Chills. I'll get back to you after I get that sorted out.


----------



## nastypass (May 11, 2015)

Music Dragon said:


> Thanks, you two! I couldn't have made it without you. Now get back in the ring and fight each other.
> 
> 
> I do all my calculations manually. I suspect the Database and the Damage and Energy Guide contradict each other, then. Here's what I get:
> ...


Duly noted! This is a minor enough difference to let by as a ref quirk, I just wanted to confirm it wasn't a mistake.


----------



## Lord of the Fireflies (May 11, 2015)

If I may, Iron Tail's energy cost might have been lowered due to its poor accuracy.


----------



## Eifie (May 11, 2015)

Lord of the Fireflies said:


> If I may, Iron Tail's energy cost might have been lowered due to its poor accuracy.


Nah, it's just a mistake in the database for attacks with exactly 100 BP. I knew I was forgetting something when I was fixing energy costs...


----------



## Music Dragon (May 17, 2015)

*Meursault vs. Keldeo: Round 6*

*The story continues…*​
I stare in awe at the little plastic card resting in my palms. Finally, after all these years, the ref license is mine! I’ve been approved! Today, my new life as a referee begins! I sniff the card gently, letting the sweet aroma of plastic lamination waft into my nostrils, and sigh dreamily. It smells just like I dreamt it would.

“… which you’ll get back at Headquarters”, Meursault continues. “There’s some paperwork to fill out, but your license should be ready t – why are you smelling your credit card?”

I furrow my brow and put the card back into my wallet.

“I was having a moment.”

“Right… well, let’s move on, shall we?”

“Yes, yes…” I wave a hand dismissively. “Round five, begin!”

“Six.”

“Six! Whatever. Begin!”

In my mind, I am already far away, nestled in bed with my referee license, caressing its smooth, shiny surface…

*ROUND 6: Leomon Dies! *

*
MEURSAULT (OO)*

_Ringi Cordeiro_  <Blaze>
*HEALTH:* 36%
*ENERGY:* 25%
*STATUS:* Sound asleep.
+1 Attack, +1 Accuracy. Focused (+20% critical hit chance). Resting (2 more actions).
*
Chill ~ Chill ~ Brick Break/Chill *

*
KELDEO (XO)*

_Kiel_  <Defiant> 
*HEALTH:* 79%
*ENERGY:* 87%
*STATUS:* Rattled. Really, really hoping Ringi doesn’t wake up again.
Burned (1% per action, reduced physical damage).
*
Snatch ~ Snatch ~ Taunt / Swords Dance *​
*Audience Status:*
Huddled together under their umbrellas.

*Arena Status:*
Rain is pouring down (6 more actions). Water is slowly collecting in the tunnel. Three 大 have been scorched into the grass near each other. An item pouch containing a Lucky Egg lies on the ground.

-----​
Kiel watches his slumbering opponent with suspicion.  This could be another ruse, but she really does seem to be genuinely asleep. He could go on the offensive now – Ringi’s left herself wide open to attack, after all. But last round’s beating is still fresh in his mind, and they do say not to wake the beast that sleeps. In any case, his trainer seems to have a different plan, and he can see where it’s going.

He lets a veil of translucent Dark materialize around him, barely visible in the rain. A long, snakelike tendril sprouts from it and latches on to Ringi, its murky black color trickling like ink into her green healing aura. It pulsates morbidly, sapping energy from its victim and pumping it into Kiel. A sense of calm washes over him, soothing his tensed muscles; Ringi, on the other hand, shudders in her sleep.

Moments later, the tendril fades away, leaving behind an unsightly tear in Ringi’s aura. Kiel waits, half expecting her to wake up and beat him into the dust again, but she doesn’t seem to be moving. Encouraged, he summons up another tentacle of Dark – it lashes towards Ringi and attaches itself to her, leeching more energy from her motionless body.

After a few seconds, Kiel becomes aware that something has changed: he can no longer feel any energy being fed into him. He dispels the Dark with a hand wave and cautiously steps toward Ringi. On closer inspection, her healing aura seems to be gone. Very carefully, he prods her with a blade. No reaction.

“D- did I do it?” He looks around anxiously. “Is she…?”

“Eh.” I shrug. “Good enough for me. It’s a KO! Ringi is out!”

-----

*End of ROUND 6.*
*
MEURSAULT (XO)*

_Ringi Cordeiro_  <Blaze>
*HEALTH:* 86%
*ENERGY:* 0%
*STATUS:* Knocked out!
*
Chill ~ Chill ~ (KO!) *

*
KELDEO (XO)*

_Kiel_  <Defiant> 
*HEALTH:* 77%
*ENERGY:* 100%
*STATUS:* “But boss”, says Kiel, “I don’t really feel like I did anything…”
“That’s how energy KOs are supposed to feel!” says Keldeo, patting him on the head.
Burned (1% per action, reduced physical damage).
*
Snatch ~ Snatch ~ (nothing) *​
*Audience Status:*
That was probably the least spectacular KO possible, and what with the rain pouring down on them, people are clearly not in a good mood right now. Maybe the next sendout will change that?

*Arena Status:*
Rain is pouring down (4 more actions). Water is slowly collecting in the tunnel. Three 大 have been scorched into the grass near each other. An item pouch containing a Lucky Egg lies on the ground.
*
Calculations:*


Spoiler: Damage



*Ringi:*
Rest 1: +28% (heals 28% per action)
Rest 2: +22% (heals 28% per action, not enough energy)
*Kiel*:
Burn: -2%





Spoiler: Energy



*Ringi:*
Rest 1: -14% (costs 14% per action)
Rest 2: -11% (costs 14% per action, not enough energy)
*Kiel*:
Snatch 1: -1% (base cost 1%, gets STAB)
Chill 1: +10%
Snatch 2: -1% (base cost 1%, gets STAB)
Chill 2: +10%





Spoiler: Rolls



n/a


*
Other Notes:
*

Sorry about this reffing! I would have worked more on it and finished it faster, but I've got a lot going on right now. 
Only two actions passed this round.
I’d prefer not to allow Chilling while Resting, but I’ll go with the official ruling. Not that it would have mattered much here.
Meursault sends out, then Keldeo commands. Choose wisely.


----------



## nastypass (May 17, 2015)

Let's go, Berlin! I don't know enough German to make the appropriate jokes here, but hopefully Keldeo or MD will!


----------



## Keldeo (May 17, 2015)

Unfortunately, I don't know any German either, but let's see what we can do here anyway, Kiel. To _defeat_ Larvitar, you must _become_ Larvitar, right? So start with a *Role Play*, but if he protects or detects use *Iron Defense*. On the second and third actions: If you have not successfully used Role Play and you can use and hit with it, use it. If you have successfully used Role Play, use *Iron Head*. If you can't use or hit with whatever move, use Iron Defense until you can. If you're Tormented, alternate Iron Head and Iron Defense. If you're Taunted, just spam Iron Head.

*Iron Head / Iron Defense / Role Play x3*


----------



## nastypass (May 17, 2015)

So they want to steal your Guts, eh? Who even cares, not me certainly, they can _have_ your cockiness for all I care. Power-up with some Punches, and then bring down the house with an Earthquake.

*Power-Up Punch ~ Power-Up Punch ~ Earthquake*


----------



## Music Dragon (Jun 1, 2015)

*Meursault vs. Keldeo: Round 7*

*The story continues…*​
Ringi’s unconscious body disappears back into her Pokéball. Without a moment’s hesitation, Meursault selects another from the belt, releasing… Berlin, the Larvitar! Ah, he looks tough. I can tell this is going to be a close match. Last sendout, too, so I guess this is it: the final showdown! Best of luck to you both!

*ROUND 7: Berlin, das kleine Krokodil! *

*
MEURSAULT (XO)*

_Berlin_  <Guts> 
*HEALTH:* 100%
*ENERGY:* 100%
*STATUS:* Waving at the spectators. Seems to be enjoying the attention.
*
Power-Up Punch ~ Power-Up Punch ~ Earthquake *

*
KELDEO (XO)*

_Kiel_  <Defiant> 
*HEALTH:* 77%
*ENERGY:* 100%
*STATUS:* Nervous. His injury puts him at a disadvantage, but maybe he can work around it… 
Burned (1% per action, reduced physical damage).
*
Iron Head / Iron Defense / Role Play ~ Iron Head / Iron Defense / Role Play ~ Iron Head / Iron Defense / Role Play *​
*Audience Status:*
Cheering for the newcomer. He seems to have won them over already! Audiences always like being acknowledged, I guess.

*Arena Status:*
Rain is pouring down (4 more actions). The tunnel is partly filled with water. Three 大 have been scorched into the grass near each other. An item pouch containing a Lucky Egg lies on the ground.

-----​
Kiel locks eyes with his new opponent, who is grinning menacingly at him from the other side of the arena.  “Na, was haben wir denn hier?” says Berlin, cracking his knuckles.

“I – I think he’s Dutch, boss!” Kiel turns to his trainer. “What do I do?”

“To defeat Larvitar, you must _become_ Larvitar,” Keldeo replies, stroking her chin sagely. 

Berlin’s grin twists into a seething frown. “I am _not_ Dutch, Schweinhund!”

“Then I’m not Dutch either!” Kiel mimics his frown. “And _you’re_ a Schweinhund!”

With a mighty battle cry, Berlin charges, fists clenched and glowing with energy. Kiel immediately raises his bladed arms as a shield in front of him; undeterred, Berlin throws a barrage of punches at the blades, each hit forming a fresh layer of solid rock on his knuckles. “You think those kitchen knives are going to stop me?” he snarls, punctuating his words with more punches. “Pain only makes me stronger!”

Kiel grits his teeth and absorbs the blows as best he can, taking the opportunity to study his opponent’s technique. Low stance, strong and direct strikes, aggressive… very unlike his own style, but it should be possible to imitate. “In that case”, he retorts, “pain only makes me stronger _too_!” Before the next punch can connect, he intercepts it with his left blade – ignoring the aching burn – and pushes Berlin away. “_Ich bin ein Berliner_!” he screams, then pounces head first, slamming his crest blade hard into Berlin’s chest. The tackle sends them both tumbling into a puddle of dirty rainwater.

Kiel barely manages to clamber to his feet before Berlin leaps at him again, swinging his fists in a flurry. Kiel deflects blow after blow, but the Larvitar’s sheer muscle is beginning to overwhelm him – thin cracks are already forming on his arms, deepening with each jab. Fortunately, Berlin seems to be tiring too; at last, he backs off, panting heavily. “Not bad”, he says, rubbing his hardened knuckles.  “But let’s see how you deal with an Earthq – “

“_Gewesen in der Wasser wisse!_” Kiel roars, charging at full speed with his head lowered. Berlin is caught off guard by the bull rush – this time the blade strikes him right in the face and cuts an ugly gash across his cheek, and the impact slams him into the mud, knocking the wind out of him.

“Örgh…” he groans.

“Örgh”, says Kiel. “Ööörgh. I think I’ve got his accent down, boss!”

Keldeo gives a thumbs-up.

-----

*End of ROUND 7.*
*
MEURSAULT (XO)*

_Berlin_  <Guts> 
*HEALTH:* 60% (capped)
*ENERGY:* 94%
*STATUS:* Lying in the mud. Disoriented and somewhat humiliated.
+2 Attack.
*
Power-Up Punch ~ Power-Up Punch ~ (Flinch!) *

*
KELDEO (XO)*

_Kiel_  <Guts> 
*HEALTH:* 56%
*ENERGY:* 85%
*STATUS:* Has adopted a new, much more European fighting style.
Burned (1% per action, Guts activated). Role Playing as Berlin.
*
Role Play ~ Iron Head ~ Iron Head*​
*Audience Status:*
Many oohs and aahs this round! Nothing beats a good old-fashioned smackdown. Berlin’s chain punching seems quite popular – it’s a visually impressive technique, though perhaps not too deadly in practice. And those headbutts? Priceless.

*Arena Status:*
Rain is pouring down (1 more action). The bottom of the tunnel is filled with water. Three 大 have been scorched into the grass near each other. An item pouch containing a Lucky Egg lies on the ground.
*
Calculations:*


Spoiler: Damage



*Berlin:*
Iron Head 1: -22% (base damage 8%, boosted by Guts, gets STAB, super effective)
Iron Head 2: -22% (base damage 8%, boosted by Guts, gets STAB, super effective)
*Kiel*:
Power-Up Punch 1: -8% (base damage 4%, super effective)
Power-Up Punch 2: -10% (base damage 4%, +1 Atk., super effective)
Burn: -3%





Spoiler: Energy



*Berlin:*
Power-Up Punch 1: -3% (base cost 2%, has secondary effect)
Power-Up Punch 2: -3% (base cost 2%, has secondary effect)
*Kiel*:
Role Play: -3% (base cost 3%)
Iron Head 1: -6% (base cost 4%, has secondary effect, gets STAB, boosted by Guts)
Iron Head 2: -6% (base cost 4%, has secondary effect, gets STAB, boosted by Guts)





Spoiler: Rolls



Power-Up Punch 1 (critical hit): Rolled 6/10, needed 10. Failure… 
Iron Head 1 (flinch): Rolled 53/100, needed above 70. Failure…
Iron Head 1 (critical hit): Rolled 4/10, needed 10. Failure…
Power-Up Punch 2 (critical hit): Rolled 3/10, needed 10. Failure…
Iron Head 2 (flinch): Rolled 88/100, needed above 70. Success!
Iron Head 1 (critical hit): Rolled 3/10, needed 10. Failure…


*
Other Notes:
*

Whew! I was able to squeeze in some reffing time in-between exams, so here you go. The next one will probably be in two weeks at least. Feel free to get an e-ref if you don’t feel like waiting around for me.
I don’t speak German either, but I’ve never let that stop me before and I sure as hell ain’t gonna let it stop me now! Gewesen!
Role Play is actually not blocked by Protect/Detect. It ended up not being relevant this time, but it can be good to know.
Meursault commands first next round.


----------



## nastypass (Jun 1, 2015)

... oooooh, that is inconvenient. Salvageable, though. open with a Taunt, unless you've already been Taunted (in which case, Earthquake). If Kiel protects this action, use Rock Polish. Second action, if Kiel is levitating, use Brick Break, or dig down if you used Earthquake last action. Otherwise, Earthquake. End by Digging back up if you're underground, Earthquaking if you didn't last action or there's a Sub up, and Kiel isn't levitating, or with a Brick Break otherwise.

*Taunt/Earthquake/Rock Polish ~ Earthquake/Brick Break/Dig (down) ~ Earthquake/Brick Break/Dig (up)*


----------



## Keldeo (Jun 2, 2015)

Okay! Don't let this go to your head, Kiel, and I'm certainly not trying to bite your head off about it, but if you had failed to make that timely flinch we'd have our heads in much deeper water right now. As it is, off the top of my head, we can head on without too much head-to-head conflict, which is fine by me. We're heading to the head of the battle now and they're slightly ahead in numbers, so it's more important than ever to keep a level head, alright? Get it into that poser's head that there's no head to be had with a few *Iron Heads* - but it's on your head to first make a *small substitute* to head off their attacks, minimizing the chance we'll head into a fall and lose our heads next round.

In any case: this round, I bet heads will roll.

*Substitute (10) ~ Iron Head ~ Iron Head*


----------



## Music Dragon (Jun 30, 2015)

*Meursault vs. Keldeo: Round 8*

*The story continues…*​
“Come on, MD! What’s taking you so long?” Keldeo taps her foot impatiently.

“Just a minute, guys”, I say, not looking up from my binoculars. “You might wanna take a look at this.”

“What is it?”

“Here, look.” I point towards the stands and hand the binoculars over to Meursault and Keldeo, who peek into one telescope each.

Up there, a small group of people dressed in ominous black robes enter the stadium, shoving people aside as they make their way towards the seats. They wave large signs with letters painted in green and blue; one has the letters ‘B.O.F.A.’ crudely drawn on it, while another reads ‘YOU’LL MCFREAKIN LOSE IT’.

“Hmm.” Meursault scowls. “Looks like the Order of the Undying Meme.”

“You know them?” Keldeo asks.

“… You could say that. They keep to themselves. I haven’t seen them around in a long while – not since that time they were recruiting for the Skeleton War.”

I rub my chin in contemplation. “Maybe they’re up to something. What’s ‘B.O.F.A.’ stand for?”

“Well, it’s…” Meursault clears her throat. “We can talk about this later. Focus on the battle for now.”

“You got it!” I ring the bell excitedly. “Round 8, begin!”

*ROUND 8: Substitute Appears! Substitute Dies!? *

*
MEURSAULT (XO)*

_Berlin_  <Guts> 
*HEALTH:* 60%
*ENERGY:* 94%
*STATUS:* More determined to win than ever.
+2 Attack.
*
Taunt / Earthquake / Rock Polish ~ Earthquake / Brick Break / Dig (down) ~ Earthquake / Brick Break / Dig (up) *

*
KELDEO (XO)*

_Kiel_  <Guts> 
*HEALTH:* 56%
*ENERGY:* 85%
*STATUS:* Seems to enjoy his new, aggressive persona a little too much.
Burned (1% per action, Guts activated). Role Playing as Berlin.
*
Substitute (10%) ~ Iron Head ~ Iron Head*​
*Audience Status:*
The mysterious robed figures have squeezed themselves into the back of the stands, waving their big signs around. Everyone near them seems uncomfortable, but fortunately, most of the spectators are too busy watching the battle to even notice.

*Arena Status:*
Rain is pouring down (1 more action). The bottom of the tunnel is filled with water. Three 大 have been scorched into the grass near each other. An item pouch containing a Lucky Egg lies on the ground.

-----​
Kiel digs his hands deep into the rain-soaked turf, pulling up clumps of grass and gobs of wet earth and gathering them into a pile. Soon he has collected a sizeable mound of clay; he sets to work giving it shape, meticulously patting and cutting it into a vaguely humanoid form. Meanwhile, the dark rainclouds hanging overhead dissipate and float away, one by one.

Berlin watches Kiel toil away from his side of the arena, a sneer on his face. “That’s the shittiest Substitute I’ve ever seen!” he scoffs.

“Whatever. I’ve only got one good hand”, Kiel replies without looking up.

“You’ve got _no_ good hands, from the looks of it.”

Kiel mutters something under his breath and continues working. Just as the last raindrops fall, he finishes his sculpture: a hideous mockery of a Pawniard, with grotesque lumps instead of blades and a molten mess of a face. He puts his hand to it and imbues it with some of his energy. At first, nothing happens; but then the Substitute suddenly quivers to life and takes its first wobbly steps forward. It cranes its misshapen head, taking in its surroundings.

“Ha! I guess it does look kind of like you, _Kartoffelkopf!_” Berlin chuckles.

”That’s _enough_!” Kiel screams. “I’ve just about had it with you!”

“Go on then, junior. I’m right here.”

The Substitute, noticing its opponent, twists awkwardly to face him. “Why…?” it croaks. “Why am I alive…?”

“Uh…” Berlin hesitates. “That’s tough, man. I don’t – “

Before he can finish, Kiel pounces at him, blades glinting in the sun. The sudden attack catches Berlin off-guard. He tries to duck, but is too late; the head blade strikes him right in the forehead, slicing a bleeding gash into his rocky hide. He stumbles backwards, clutching his wound and struggling to regain his balance. Stars burst before his eyes and his ears ring – the blow must have concussed him badly. He makes a desperate attempt to stamp out an Earthquake in retaliation, but he can barely orient himself, let alone find his footing. Just as he is about to fall over, something grabs him. He comes face to face with Kiel, who is lifting him up by the shoulders.

“Call me that thing again,” Kiel says. “I dare you.” 

“You…” Berlin coughs. “You don’t even know what _Kartoffelkopf_ means…”

Without missing a beat, Kiel slams his head blade hard into Berlin’s wound, making him howl with pain. 

“I know what _that_ means.” He hurls Berlin away. “Your move, kerfufflecup.” 

Berlin wipes the blood from his forehead and takes a deep breath. His head is pounding, but he knows he has to strike back now, or he might not get another opportunity. He plants his feet firmly in the ground, then stomps down as hard as he can. Instantly, a large crack opens beneath his foot, rapidly spreading across the arena. The earth begins to tremble violently, throwing Kiel off his feet – the Substitute reacts immediately, leaping with surprising speed to catch its master as he falls and hoisting him up on its shoulders. The entire stadium is quaking now, tossing about hapless spectators and trainers alike. The Substitute’s legs crumble away underneath it, but its soft body cushions Kiel from the worst of the tremors.

By the time the earthquake finally dies down, the Substitute has been reduced to a barely recognizable hunk of dirt. What’s left of its body finally falls apart, leaving Kiel sitting in a pile of rubble – unharmed. From across the arena, Berlin glares at him, massaging his injured head...

-----

*End of ROUND 8.*
*
MEURSAULT (XO)*

_Berlin_  <Guts> 
*HEALTH:* 20% (capped)
*ENERGY:* 85%
*STATUS:* His head hurts like hell, but he’s happy that he at least got one good Earthquake in today. Third time’s the charm, I suppose…
+2 Attack.
*
Taunt ~ (Flinch!) ~ Earthquake *

*
KELDEO (XO)*

_Kiel_  <Guts> 
*HEALTH:* 43%
*ENERGY:* 68%
*STATUS:* Really pissed off. Somehow, this actually makes his roleplaying more convincing.
Burned (1% per action, Guts activated). Role Playing as Berlin. Taunted (one more action).
*
Substitute (10%) ~ Iron Head (critical hit!) ~ Iron Head*​
*Audience Status:*
Oh boy! An honest-to-goodness Earthquake! How exciting! And that was some seriously impressive headbutting, too – it’s not every day you get to see a _critical flinch_! No wonder people are excited. It looks like this battle can only end one way… or can it?

*Arena Status:*
Utterly ruined. The tunnel has caved in, and the rest of the arena is all cracked and upturned. An item pouch containing a Lucky Egg lies on the ground, somehow unscathed.
*
Calculations:*


Spoiler: Damage



*Berlin:*
Iron Head 1: -26% (base damage 8%, boosted by Guts, gets STAB, super effective, critical hit!)
Iron Head 2: -22% (base damage 8%, boosted by Guts, gets STAB, super effective)
*Kiel*:
Substitute: -10% (small Substitute)
Burn: -3%





Spoiler: Energy



*Berlin:*
Taunt: -4% (base cost 4%)
Earthquake: -5% (base cost 6%, gets STAB)
*Kiel*:
Substitute: -5% (small Substitute)
Iron Head 1: -6% (base cost 4%, has secondary effect, gets STAB, boosted by Guts)
Iron Head 2: -6% (base cost 4%, has secondary effect, gets STAB, boosted by Guts)





Spoiler: Rolls



Iron Head 1 (flinch): Rolled 80/100, needed above 70. Success!
Iron Head 1 (critical hit): Rolled 10/10, needed 10. Success!
Iron Head 2 (flinch): Rolled 42/100, needed above 70. Failure…
Iron Head 2 (critical hit): Rolled 1/10, needed 10. Failure…
Earthquake (critical hit): Rolled 7/10, needed 10. Failure…


*
Other Notes:
*

I’m really sorry about the late reffing! First I had exams and then I’ve been busy hosting ultraviolet, so I haven’t really had much time to sit down and write…
Keldeo commands first next round.


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## Keldeo (Jun 30, 2015)

Probably one of the best outcomes we could have hoped for! Iron Head away. If you can't do that for any reason, one-action Dig (don't dodge and attack, just do it as quickly as possible) and use Grass Knot if you can't do either of those. If he protects, detects, endures, or has a substitute, just use the strongest move you can (Iron Head > Dig > Grass Knot in this respect.) If he somehow digs down before you can move, follow him into the hole.

*Iron Head / Dig (one action) / Grass Knot x3*


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## Music Dragon (Jul 9, 2015)

I know that *Meursault* has posted in the Absence Sheet, so this is just a gentle reminder: it's your turn to post!


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## Music Dragon (Jul 12, 2015)

It's been two days, and *Meursault*'s Absence Sheet post is in fact expired, so here's a final DQ warning: you have *24 hours* to post commands! (I feel weird about disqualifying my mentoring referee, but I don't want to hog one of Keldeo's battle slots, so...)


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## Music Dragon (Jul 13, 2015)

*Meursault vs. Keldeo: End*

*The story continues…*​
The robed strangers continue to wave signs and chant incomprehensible slogans, their shouting growing increasingly loud and bothersome. "Something's not right", Meursault mutters from behind the binoculars. "I need to go up there and check."

"Now?" I raise an eyebrow. "You haven't given your orders yet, you know!" I glance at my watch. "I realize these people are troublemakers, but - "

"I'll be quick." Meursault shoves the binoculars into my hands. "Just give me a minute."

Keldeo and I watch her leave through the nearest exit, disappearing up the stairs inside the stadium. Minutes pass. Nothing seems to happen. Finally, the boisterous strangers quieten down, a handful of them discreetly sneaking out through the upper exit. Yet no sign of Meursault.

"We should follow", says Keldeo, tugging on my sleeve. "I don't know what's going on here, but maybe something bad has happened."

"Hmm." I shift uncomfortably. "Perhaps, but we've got to do something about, you know, this." I gesture towards the center of the arena, where Kiel is eagerly honing his blades and Berlin is rubbing his bleeding forehead, both of them staring expectantly at us. "Shall I...?"

"Yeah." Keldeo nods. "Just do it. We'll sort out the details later."

"If you're sure." I shrug and ring the boxing bell. _"Meursault is disqualified! Keldeo wins!"_

-----​
Meursault is disqualified, leaving *Keldeo* as the winner and signifying the end of my first day on the job! As specified, Keldeo gets $20, Meursault gets $10, and I myself earn a whopping $15. Enough for dinner and a cab ride home, I suppose. As far as I know, the Database calculates reward money manually, so you might have to poke someone to get the correct amount. Now let's go find out what's really happening here...


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## Keldeo (Jul 13, 2015)

Oh, that's a shame. Thank you for a great game, though, Meursault, and congratulations again on becoming a ref, MD!


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